Electric train-despatching system.



G. W. DERRYBERRY. ELECTRIC TRAIN DESPATCHING SYSTEM.

Patented D60. 31, 1918.

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G. W. DERRYBERRY. ELECTRIC TRAlN DESPATCHING SYSTEM. APPLICATION FXLED JULY 8. 1914.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

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a muzmto'c G. W. DEHRYBERRY. ELECTRIC TRAIN DSPATCHING SYSTEM APPUCATSON FILED JULY 8-1914. 1,289,695. Patented Dec. 31, 191&

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a #52552;? w w a WW 1 6 W M J Q J a q G. W. DERRYBERRY. ELECTRIC TRAIN DESPATCHING SYSTEM.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

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APPLICATION FILED IULY 8.1914.

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GARRISON W; DERRYBERRY, OF SPIRO, OKLAHOMA.

ELECTRIC TRAIN-DESPATCHING SYSTEM.

Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

Application filed July 8, 1914. Serial No. 849,803.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GARRISON W. DERRY- BERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spiro, Le Flore county, and State of Oklahoma, have invented and discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Train-Despatchingf Systems, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my said invention is to provide an apparatus by which all the trains to be operated on a' single division of a railroad can be directed or despatched from one appropriately located oflice, said apparatus embodying electrically operated means by which the trains will report auto matically from the various stations in the division to the train despatchers oilice their respective numbers, locations and directions of travel, and electrically operated means by which the train despatcher may communicate to the engineer of any train at a station, either while standing or in motion, such orders as he may desire by means of various signals, thereby enabling the engineer to operate his train with the least possible loss of time and the greatest degree of safety and at the same time enable the train despatcher to keep advised of the exact location of every train in his division as it moves from station to station and its relative position to other trains.

Said apparatus embodies a device for verifying such orders and signals and allowing the despatcher to detect and correct any errors.

Said apparatus is also intended to reduce to a minimum the electro motive force required to operate the signal system and to minimize the time, danger, and expense attending the handling of trains, both through a central despatchers office and various local telegraph oilices, by receiving reports and giving orders direct through only one office for each division of the system.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which are made a part hereof and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts,

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic v1ew 1llustrating a section of a double track rallway, in cluding the complete apparatus as used in the train despatchefls office and at three separate stations on the division,

Fig. 2 a section through th signal box in the train despatchersofiice,

Fig. 3 a top or plan view of an operating switch in the train despatchers oilice for signaling to the train,

Fig. 4 a section through Fig. 3 on the dotted line 44,

Fig. 5 a sectional view through the signai box at the station,

b Fig. 6 afront elevation of said signal Fig. 7 a detail perspective view of a part of the mechanism in said signal box,

Fig. 8 a cross section on the dotted line 88 in Fig. 2,

Fig. 9 a cross section on the dotted line 99 in Fig. 5,

Figs. 10, 11, and 12 detail views illustrating the construction of parts more clearly and,

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary view of the operating switch inthe train despatchers office.

Referring to Fig. l, the various parts of the apparatus are arranged for a train on the track represented at the upper side of the figure to be going in one direction, and a train on the track represented at the lower side of the figure to be going in the opposite direction, the respective directions of the trains being indicated by arrows.

I have represented the rails as broken to indicate that the section of road represented may continuefor an indefinite distance, such as might commonly include the three stations A, B, and C, as indicated on the drawing. These stations, as will be understood, may be any distance apart, and dilierent distances apart, as is common along the lines of railways. In the drawing I have illustrated, merely for convenience, the apparatus intended to be in the train despatchers oflice, partly on one side of the road and partly on the opposite side of the road. It will be understood, of course, that in actual practice the apparatus will be all within a single oifi'ce and that the illustration is merely for convenience in locating the wires so that the arrangement can be clearly seen upon the drawings.

The signal box 10, located in the train despatchers oflice, contains a series of magnets corresponding to the number of stations in the division, as 11, 12, and 1?), respec tively, above which is formed a track 15 with two run-ways having undulations at intervals, the lowermost part ofea'ch curve walls of the groove being at a magnets.

adapted run-way and the other in the other run-way of said track. Each of said indicator disks has a center or'journal around which it is Indicator disks,.as 16 and 17 are adapted to rotate, and tail pieces 18 and 19,

somewhat, and another undulated double track 21 is arranged immediately above them on which indicator disks 22, 23, etc., are mounted in the same manner as described for'those on track 15 except they are ar ranged to roll in the other direction. These disks have free centers with tail pieces 24 and 25 adapted to engage with a serrated top edge 26 alongside said track. The operation of these parts will be more clearly explained after the description of. the construction and arrangement of the remainder of the apparatus. a

The indicator board .27 is of any suitable construction and has an indicator hand 28' mounted on acentral pivot 29. The outer end ofsaid hand projects over an annular V groove 30 near the outer edge of said switch board. Beneath the annular groove 30 at equal distances around the switch board are mounted several pairs of magnets 3.1,.as indicated, most clearly in Figs. 3 and 4.- Said board is divided into'equal divisions corresponding to the number of trains in operationon the division, said divisionsbeing indicated by the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively. Each division is also sub-divided into four equal divisions represented by elevations in the top edges of the hand 28 carries aspring detent 32 which is adapted to engage with any one of a series of sockets 33 in the bottom ofgr oove 80 and secure said hand from accidental turning on its pivot. A soft metalball84 is mounted on the top edges of the walls of the groove 30 and adapted to be moved step' by step along said groove by the magnets 31, as will be presently describedQ k At each station a post 35 is located alongside the track, on the top of which is mounted a terminal contactinember 36. A rotary armv37. is mounted on a vertical pivotpin 38 on the top of said post, .said=arm being mounted on a ratchet wheel 39 and extending outwardly from diametrically opposite sides thereof. Said pivotpin 38 is fixed in the top of said post and on its outer end-carpoint midway between adjacent to be mounted and roll one in one 30. The outer end of ries a lever 40 having a pawl 41'which engages with the teeth of said'ratchet wheel 39. Said pawl normally stands in the position shown in Fig. 11 with its position determined by a stop pin 42 properly located in the top of said post. A; spring 43 connected at one end to said pin 38 and atthe other end to said lever 40, tends to hold said lever against said pin 42 and return it to said position when it is forcibly operated away therefrom. A spring bumper 143 is located-on the opposite side of said post to limit the movement of lever 40 in that direction. 7

dicator wheel 45 on the periphery "of which is formed a series of numerals indicating the number of the trains corresponding to.

the number of divisions on indicator board 27, and these numerals are adapted to show through an opening 46 in the end of said boX. (See Fig. 6). Said indicator wheel The station signal box 44 contains an in is mounted on a shaft 47 journaled in the sides of said boX .44. A wheel 48 with horizontal pins pprojecting from one side of its rim, which serve as cogs, is made'fast to wheelv 45. Its pins engage a cog wheel 49 on a short shaft 5 0. journaled at its outer end in abearing in one end'of box 44 and at its inner end in a suitable support 51. On its outerend it carries an indicator arm 52 aswill be presently described. Saidwheel48 is normally operated by a spring 53 connected at one 7 end to shaft 47 and at its other end to said wheel, Said; shaft has a bevel pinion Said shaft'50 is,"

on one end which meshes with a similar j pinion 55,011} a shaft" 56 by'which said spring is kept Wound up under operative tension in a manner which will be presently described. A magnet 57 is positioned adjacent to said wheel, and a double-ended pawl 58 is pivotedat 59,'which1carries an arma ture 60. Said pawl isadapted to be operated in one direction by saidinagnet' and in the other direction byspring160. Theopposite pointsof the. pawl 58 are {adapted to engage alternately with the cogs or pins'f of thewheel 48and operate in the same manner as a clock escapem'ent mechanism. .Another similar pawl 61'is pivoted at'62 and has a spring arm 63 which engages witha notch in the periphery of a wheel 64, which is pivoted at 164. Said wheel isconnected in one side of'themain electric circuit and has an arm .65 which is adapted to contact side of the circuit, whereby the rocking of saidwheel' isv adapted to make and break said circuit. A wire'67' leads from; the

' with a. terminal 66 connected with the other '7 wheel 64 to a contact plate 68fbelow' the 7 box 44. A wire 69 leads: from the contact terminal 66 toone end of the coil of mag;

net 57, and another wire 70 leads from the opposite endof said coil to the ground. An- 7 other contact plate 71 is arranged adjacent to contact plate 68, a space being provided between them and a wire 72 leads from said contact plate 71 by appropriate connections to the office of the train despatcher. A tilting arm 73 is pivoted at 74: on the end of contact plate 71 and has a branch extending beyond its pivot within the field of a magnet 75, for a purpose to be presently described.

On the lower end of shaft 56 is mounted a wheel 76, the rim of which is formed, for one fourth of its circumference, on diametrically opposite sides, of a width to bridge the space between contact plates 68 and 71. The other portions of the wheel are narrow so that they will pass between said contact plates without bridging said space. The thickened portions of wheel 76 are indicated by the numeral 77 and the thin portions by the numeral 78.

Wire 72 leads from contact plate 71 by appropriate connections to the ofiice and may be connected through connections 105 and 106 by branches 84 to the windings of magnets 31, which windings run from said magnets, as by branches 83, to the metallic sections of the inner wall 79 of the groove 30 in the indicator board 27. Wall 79 of said groove 30 is formed of alternate sections of insulating material and metal, the metal sections of wall 79 being connected with the windings of the magnets 31, as above stated. The wall 80 is a continuous metal wall and is connected by branch wires 81 with a ground wire as 99., The diameter of ball 34 is slightly greater than the width of groove 30 so that it will roll freely on the track formed by the top edges of walls 79 and 80. It thus contacts with both walls and is adaptedto form an electrical bridge or connection between them. The bottom of groove 30 may be of any suitable material, of appropriate thickness, and the in sulated sections of the wall 79 are arranged adjacent to each set of magnets. Said sections are indicated by numeral 85. When the ball is released from the magnetic influence of the magnets, when positioned above them, it will thus be free to roll away from one set of said magnets and toward the next set. i

The construction and arrangement of the parts having been-thus described, the invention will be better understood from a de scription of the use and operation of the apparatus, which is as follows:

The parts of the apparatus being arranged as illustrated in Fig. 1, and the train approaching station B from station Con the track at the upper side of said figure, a contact arm on the side of the locomotive (not shown) will strike lever 40 which will be thrown against spring bumper 143 on the opposite side of the post, and, through the connection of the pawl 11, will turn ratchet wheel 39 to bring contact arm 37 in contact with contact point 36, thus closing the circuit through wire 90, local battery 91, the winding of magnet 75, and ground wire 92, energizing said magnet 75 which will attract the lower end of the pivoted bridge piece 73 and send the current from battery 95 through the circuit formed by the wire 70, magnets 57, wires 69, 67, 72, 96, 196, magnet 12, wires 97, 98, 99 and 100, to the ground. The closing of this circuit energizes magnet 12 and draws the indicator disk, such 16, (located in the same relation to magnet 12, as shown at the left in Fig. 2, as the relation between magnet 11 and indicator 16) representing the number of the train, as N o. 5, to the position on said track immediately above said magnet 12. Said indicator is held above magnet 12 by a sliding finger 15 on the inner end of the pivoted lever 120 (see Fig. 8) until manually released. Magnet 12, representing station B, and being indi cated by the same name or number as the station, will show the train despatcher that the train indicated by the number of the disk has passed the point at which the post 35 is located and is approaching the station. The distance of the post from the station is fixed as may be.

desired so that the train despatcher will have the opportunity that may be required to indicate to the engineer any instructions which may be conveyed through the medium of the signal box 14: and the signaling apparatus therein.

A contact arm (not shown) is also provided on the rear end of the train so that as the rear end passes post 35 lever 40 will be thrown another quarter turn which will turn arm 37 to the position shown in station A and disconnect said arm from the contact 36. The pivoted bridge piece 73 will stand in position, however, to maintain the circuit until the contact arm on the locomotive strikes arm 130 which is connected with the wheel 76 in the same manner that lever 40 is connected with the arm 37. The turning of said wheel throws pivoted bridge piece 73 back on its pivot and brings the wide portion 77 of said wheel between plates 68 and 71, thus maintaining the circuit. When the rear end of the train passes station B the contact arm thereon will strike lever 130 and turn said wheel to bring a thin portion 78 thereof between contact plates 68 and 71, breaking the main circuit and allowing the indicator disk 16 (or the one in use) to roll from the position above the magnet 12 which has been holding it and allow it to roll toward the next magnet, which indicates to the train dispatcher that the train has left station B and is approaching toward the next station, or station A in the operation being described.

This operation continues throughoutthe division and from one division to another throughout the entire system.

The circuit .from battery 95 being closed, as before described, the indicator disk is drawn to above magnet 12 by magnetic force, as above described, and is there held, even after the circuit is broken, .through the medium of one of the vertical sliding fingers 121 on the inner end of one of the pivoted bars 120 which normally projects upward in front of said disk 16 (or any other disk that may be in use), thus holding said disk from rolling downwardly on the inclined surface of the track15 until said finger is moved out of the path of said disk, as will be presently described. The train despatcher then breaks the circuit through magnet 12 by removing plug 101, connected with the end of wire 96, from a socket forming the terminal of wire 196 and inserts said plug in .a socket of a terminal 102 which terminal is'connected by a wire 103 through a local battery 104, from which another wire 105 1 runs to a terminal 106 on indicator board 27 from which branches 84 run to magnets 31 and metallic sections of wall 79 of groove 30. Terminal 107 is connected with wall 80, and

' by wires 99 and 100, through battery 95, to

the ground.

It will thus be seen that by removing the plug from the socket in terminal 101 and inserting it in the socket in terminal 102, said magnet 12 is denergized and the electrical circuit is connected through the indicator board 27, and also through the circuit operating the signaling apparatus'in signal box 44. The despatcher, through the medium of lever 28 is thus enabled to operate the signaling apparatus in box 44 to indicate various signals at the station B to which the train is approaching in the following manner: For example, suppose the hand '28 is in the position indicated in Fig. 3, the apparatus in signal box 44 will be operated to show the signal No. 5 on theperiphery of wheel 45 through the opening46 in the end of box 44 and the arm 52 will stand horizontally covering the red arm 155 and indicating to the engineer that he has a clear track and can proceed. If the train despatcher desires the engineer to stop at station E he will leave in its normal position'between the divisions 1 and 6 on the indicator board, in which position the periphery of the indicator wheel 45v shows a plain red section through the opening 46, the indicator arm 52 stands in the position shown in whole lines'in Fig.

6, (likewise its normal position), and the red arm 155 is exposed. This indicates to the engineer to stop. If the train "despatcher wishes the engineer to know that another train is following, he moves the arm 28 to position 125 when signal arm 52 will stand the hand 28 standing at an angle inlrelation to arm 155. Ifhe 'wishes the engmeer to know that there is' another train ahead he will remove the hand to position 126 which will move indicator 1 arm 52 to stand at another angle in relation to arm 155. When the despatcher wishesto signal the engineer to proceed, he moves indicator hand 28 around to the numberv indicating the number of the trainwhich brings the number of the train in view through the opening 46 and brings white indicator arm 52 longitudinally of the red'arm 15.5,]covering said arm and indicating to the engineer that the track is clearand he may proceed. V

This operation proceeds through. the action of the electric current in energizing the magnet 57 which overcomes the power or spring 160, draws the armature 60' to the poles of the magnet, releases wheel 48,.and permits spring 53 to turn said wheel'one step. which operates lever 61 to. rock wheel 64 to break the connection between terminal 66 and arm 65, deenergizing magnet 57 and coming through wire 72 and connection-105 to terminal 106, which is "electrically connected with each of the metallic sections of the wall 79, the circuit iscOmpleted through the successive sections by themetallic ball 34 as it rolls from one section to the other.

For example, the ball standing in the position shown in Fig. 3 isdirectly above one pair of magnets 31. When the hand 28 is moved from this position, said-ball will roll down over the inclined sectionof track to ward the next set of magnets 31, rolling off the insulated section 85 and establishing an electric circuit from wire 72' throughthe next set of magnets to the ground, thus energizing said magnets and'dra-wing said ball up over the elevation adjacent thereto, the magnetic force ofthe magnets holds the ball until the circuit is broken when it rolls down toward the next set of magnets and the operation continues until. the "ball is stopped by the locked position o'f'the hand 28 with which itcontacts.

Thus the breaking and making of the circuit'by. the operationof the pawl 61 causes the indicatordeyices, consisting of the indicator wheel 45,-. and the hand '52, to beoperated to indicate the various code of signals determined by the; relative position of the arm 52 and the arm and the signaling numbers orcolors on the periphery of wheel 45.

- Inthe operation of the apparatus by the despatcher-the indicator-disks 16, '17, 22,

and 23, for example, are arranged convenient to the indicator boX 10 and when, according to the schedule, a train is dueto enter the division under the control of the train despatcher, he selects the indicator disk bearing the number corresponding to the number of the train and places it upon track 15 or 21, according to whichever direction the train is going, near the magnet representing the station which the train will first approach. As soon as the train passes the outpost 35 near said station the, despatcher is automatically informed of the fact and then manipulates his switches 101 and 28 to operate the signal at said station and communicate to the engineer the information desired. The operation continues in the same manner throughout the division, the indicator moving from stationto station as the train continues on its Way and when it passes from the division controlled by the office, the disk indicator leaves the end of the track and falls into a receptacle (not shown) arranged to receive the disks. The train despatcher of one division is, of course, in communication with the despatchers of the divisions on each side of his division and communicates with them and they communicate with him as to the passing of the trains from one division to the next. This communication can be carried on by telegraph, or by telephone, in the usual way.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electrically operated train despatching system comprising an indicator mechanism in the train despatchers office, signaling mechanism at each station under the control of the train despatchers office, a circuit connecting said mechanisms, means for breaking and making said circuit by the train in passing the station, and means in the train despatchers office for operating the signaling mechanism at any station on the circuit to signal the passing trains as may be desired, substantially as set forth.

2. An electrically operated train despatching apparatus comprising an indicator mechanism in the train despatchers office, a signaling mechanism at each station in the division, said several signaling mechanisms and the indicator mechanism being connected in a common electric circuit, means operated by the passing train for closing the circuit as it approaches each station and opening the circuit as it leaves each station, the indicator mechanism in the train despatchers office being arranged to be operated by the closing of the circuit to indicate to the despatcher the approach of the train to any station, and signal operating means in the train despatchers office for operating the signaling mechanism at the station,

whereby it is possible for the train despatcher in hisv office to signal orders to the train at a station, substantially as set forth.

3. An electrically operated train despatching apparatus comprising indicator mechanism in the train despatchers office, signaling mechanism ateach station in the division under control of said office, an electric circuit connecting the signaling mechanism at the station with the indicating mechanism-at said office, signal operating means also in the train despatchers oflice and'connected in said circuit, a connection whereby the train is adapted to close the circuit as it approaches the station and operate the indicator mechanism in the office and open the circuit as it leaves the station, and a station signal operating apparatus in the office connected in the same circuit and ar ranged to operate the signal at the station to indicate the orders to the train, substantially as set forth.

4. An electrically operated train despatching system comprising an indicator mechanism in the train despatchers office containing a series of magnets corresponding in number to the number of stations in the division, indicator devices adapted to be op erated by said magnets as the train moves from station to station, means for holding said devices at each magnet after the magnet is deenergized, a signaling apparatus at each station, an electric circuit connecting the signaling apparatus of each station with the magnet representing said station in the indicator mechanism in the train despatchers office, a controller in the train despatchers office for controlling the signaling apparatus at each station, a switch for connecting said controller into the circuit with said signaling apparatus, and means for closing the circuit and energizing the magnet in the indicator mechanism in the train despatchers oflice by the approach of the train to the station, and means for opening said circuit by the departure of the trains, substantially as set forth.

5. An electrically operated train despatching system comprising an indicating apparatus in the train despatchers office containing a series of magnets corresponding with the number of stations in the division for each direction of movement on the track, said indicator apparatus comprising an indicator device arranged to be operated step by step from one magnet to the neXt as the train moves from one station to the neXt, a signal at each station adapted to signal to the engineers of trains such orders as the train despatcher in the office may desire to give, a controller in the train despatchers ofiice arranged to operate said signal to indicate a variety of orders at Will, an electric circuit connecting each station signal With the appropriate magnet in the indicator in the train despatchers oflice, a switch arranged to connect the controller at'will in any circuit, and means for closing and opening the circuit at the station loy'the approach and departure of the train, whereby the train despatcher on the approach of any train to any station-as indicatedon the indicator is able through the controller to signal to such station such orders as he may desire, substantially as set forth. 7

6. An electrically operated train despatching systemcomprising an indicator in the train despatchers ofiice arranged to indicate the position of the trains throughout the division, a signal at each station for signaling orders from the train despatchers office, a controller in the train despatchers office,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for an electric circuit connecting each station signal With the indicator inthe train despatchers oflice, means for closing and open my hand and seal at Washington, District of Columbia, this ninth day of May, A. D. nineteen hundred and fourteen.

- GARRISON W. DERRYBERRY. 1,. s] it Witnesses:

E. W. BRADFORD, T. BRADDOCK.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. s 

